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Pre-Marketing Expenses Related to Selling a Home

Posted Tuesday, October 29, 2013

If you are planning on selling your home, you should consider some of the costs and expenses that may be incurred. These expenses are not quite as shocking if you plan ahead for them. Planning ahead can also mean reducing some of these costs by taking care of some of the repairs or maintenance issues related to your home, yourself.

Here are the typical upfront costs that you should consider before putting your home up for sale. A lot of them are optional expenses, however can help improve the sale price of your home.

Paint - A fresh coat of paint is one of most cost effective methods to freshen up your home, inside and out. It gives your house a fresh and clean look, especially if you use neutral colors.

Wash Windows - Freshly cleaned windows can make a drastic improvement on potential buyers' impression of your home. Professional cleaning will cost up to a few hundred dollars depending on the size of your home.

Minor Repairs - Some repairs might be crucial (for example, replacing a cracked window or carpet with heavy stains). At the very least you want your home to look well-cared for and make sure no issues with come up if your buyer has a home inspection.

Spruce up the Landscaping - What potential buyers see when they first approach your home is going to be their first impression. Consider adding some nice flowers/plants or greenery around the front of the home. Make sure you keep up the grass cutting, trimming of shrubs/trees, etc.

Get a Pre-inspection Report - This is not required and most buyers expect to pay for their own. However if you have lived in the home for very long time, there may be things going on that you are not aware of. A report will run a couple hundred dollars, however this expense may be better than something coming up down the road that detracts offers or delays closing and costing more to handle a last minute repair or other issue

Moving Before Putting Home on the Market? Keep the utilities on so that potential buyers aren't previewing a home that is dark and cold.

Extra Homeowners Insurance Policy Costs - You may have to pay additional for a rider that insures your home while it is vacant (if your policy does not cover vacant homes).

If you are unable to make the necessary repairs or cannot afford these potential pre-market expenses you may want to consider contacting a sell my property expert. A sell my property expert will buy your home in any condition and help you avoid the above expenses incurred to sell your home.